Issuu

LAMINATES Desk

Victoria University of Wellington - Te Herunga Waka Hans-Christian Wilhelm

Ben Waddington - 300444816 - SARC 212 2019 Dion Andrews Graeme Crawley Phil Nelson Steven Almond Coastal Fasteners Wellington City Timbers Ltd PSP Limited

Tenā Koutou, tenā Koutou, tenā koutou katoa No Haumoana ahau Ko Waddington te Whānau Ko Ben ahau Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou Tenā Koutou, tenā Koutou, tenā koutou katoa.

Contents 8 PREFACE 16

INITIAL BRIEF

CONCEPT DESIGN

Concept One

Concept Two

Concept Three

Concept Four

26 REFLECTION 28

REFINED BRIEF

DEVELOPMENT SKETCHES & MODELING

CAD MODELLING

MATERIALS & PROCESS

Copper Porcelain

Softwood timbers

Hardwood timbers

Embodied Energy of NZ Materials

Declare Red List

36 PROTOTYPING

CNC Routing Frame

CNC Routing Twin Wall Polycarbonate

Finishing Assembly 42 TRANSLUCENCE Review/Promotion Photography 50

WORKS CITED

CONCEPT ONE

3. 10

CONCEPT TWO

1. S

CONCEPT THREE

1. C

CONCEPT FOUR

1. R

2. 16

REFLECTION S

REFINED BRIEF To

MATERIAL SELECTION Th

1. Laminated clear pine blank is milled to 1400 x 280 x 125. This took 9 1400mm lengths and in hindsight removing 1 length could have greatly reduced the machining time. 2. Blank is glued down to the CNC router bed with 3M industrial strength superglue. 3, 4, 5. First path made around the perimeter of basin top, no draft angle. 12

6, 7. Outside perimeter milled on basin bottom half. No draft angle. 8. Clean finish besides faceting from line resolution of the file. 9, 10. Second file cutting the relief where the cut will pass through towards the drain. 11, 12. Parallel finishing cuts to complete draft angle. 13. Draft angle cut, along with drain pocket to reduce blow out when cutting out the inside. 14, 15. Routing out around the slotted drain. Pass was made with a 6mm cutter in a radial pass, this caused an inconsistent finish on the ends.

27 16. Radial pattern is too course

and would require more sanding than required. 17. Changing cutters from 6mm to 16mm bullnose reduced tearout and matches texturing on the upper half. 18. Blanks removed and outer

line scribed into the table allowing them to be flipped and remounted.

19. A significant amount of waste material could be reduced with a 25mm overhang instead of 50mm. Reducing offcuts. 20, 21, 22, 23. This pass is

beginning the rough out of the inside of the basin. A 16mm Roundover bit is being used in a helical pass. 24. Roughing and finishing passes made over bottom side. 25. A parallel finishing cut is used to mill the draft angle on the top side. 26. Testing ergonomics, curving back wall could give more space. 27. Machining of both sides complete.

28. Hand sanding needed to preserve interior radial finishing texture.

31. Copper tap oxidation after one day. 34

32. Copper tap oxidation after two days. 33. Copper tap oxidation after three days. It is important to consider that regular exposure to cleaning products will reduce oxidation. 34. Basin after two coats of Everdure epoxy finish. Recomended for its waterresistance, typically used in marine applications. 35. Issues with tearout where endgrain was cut.

36. Finish should have been thinned to around 70% on first coat to improve absorption on soak coat.

⑦

②

⑧

4x Fix.3

①

③

⑦ ④

8x Fix.1

Hot

⑥

Cold

⑤

1. EXPLODED ISOMETRIC (1:5)

DRAWN BY:

BEN WADDINGTON

LOCATION:

42-50 Kelburn

TRANSLUCENCE Preface New Zealand’s current social and political climate calls for designers with an improved awareness

of product lifecycles, specification, and reuse. Local investment through projects and research by institutions such as Victoria University of Wellington Te Herunga Waka is driving expectations for designers to move towards a circular economy. The Living Pā Project takes a dramatic step towards this future, looking to obtain full petal certification under the international living future institute’s living building challenge. While this does not reach the ambitions of a circular economy it thoroughly considers “20 imperatives” (International Living Future Institute, 2019) that define a high standard of awareness. This extends beyond considering an environmental agenda, to issues engrained within New Zealand’s social context. In recent years widespread efforts have started to open dialogue with Maori, as iwi start to be consulted over development, and business decisions. Iwi ask for recognition, reconciliation, and the ability to lead in the development of Maori culture. This paradigm was spearheaded by the efforts of the Waitangi Tribunal act set up in 1975 to provide a “permanent commission of inquiry that makes recommendations on claims brought by Māori relating to Crown actions which breach the promises made in the Treaty of Waitangi” (Ministry of Justice, 2021, Par.2) Project Brief The Wai Manu wash basin seeks to provide a locally crafted and environmentally low impact alternative 34

for the Living Pā Project. It responds to critiques of poor ergonomics, difficulties with maintenance, and the typical standardization of furnishings in public bathrooms. Unisex bathrooms within the Living Pā respond to a growing interest for inclusive space, resulting in programming of personal spaces rather than communal. Amenities which were traditionally shared such as sinks, soap dispensers and dryers, are now required in higher volumes. At 1-1 or 2-7 rather than 1-35 for female toilets and 1-20 for male (Department of Building and Housing NZ, 2011, p. 22). This means bathrooms must be larger and amenities must shift from defining communal space to personal space, considering furnishings rather than fixtures. Overall, 17 small wall mounted sinks are required, increasing the environmental footprint if local products are not specified. Currently most basins, tapware, and plumbing components are imported from countries such as China and Italy. Destroying needs for local craft, and increasing the energy embodied in the lifecycle of the products. Design Process Early concepts considered amplifying user engagement with water through formal or sensory experiences, later transitioning to considerations of functionality in development. Clay was used as a malleable tool for iterative development translating to a range of successful concepts that carried through into prototyping. Concept two was formally taken into development, integrating aspects of other concepts such as the slotted drain, sculpted angular interior, and a spout aligned parallel to the wall to improve access. A mock-up was constructed during concept design which along with compliance documents (Department of Building and Housing NZ, 2011,

p. 20) formed decisions around the sizing of the prototype. Material Selection New Zealand halloysite clay from IMERYS’s Ceramics Matauri Bay pit and reclaimed copper plumbing pipe from the demolition of the existing villas on the site of the Living Pā, are specified with the intent of minimizing environmental harm and recognizing embodied energies in the process of making. Halloysite clay was specified after researching porcelain and stoneware clays used by New Zealand potters. While stoneware clays are common, Crown Lynn crockery offered precedent for where to source a New Zealand white burning clay. While owned by an international corporation, the Matauri Bay clay pit employs New Zealand staff, and has a history of supplying clay for domestic ceramics. Using copper from the existing villa’s extends the life of a high value material which in a virgin state embodies “70.6(MJ/Kg)” (Alcorn, 2003, A.1). This is significant in comparison to porcelain which as a virgin material embodies “2.5(MJ/Kg)” (Alcorn, 2003, A.2). This means copper must stay in use 28.3 times longer than porcelain to account for initial processing. According to Bowen Li (2008) “Copper has both antibacterial and antifungal properties” (p.3). Tests against “Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae),” (Li, 2008, p.34) “show that the copper vermiculite has strong antibacterial activity against E. coli” (Li, 2008, p.55). Beyond appropriate material selection, the circular economy model is embraced through proportions that consider reusability within alternative bathroom configurations. Prototyping Prototyping involved research into ceramic and copper materials alongside processes of slip casting, CNC milling, glazing, hand building, pipe bending, and polishing. The sink prototyped was milled from 100 x 50mm pine clears, which were laminated into a blank 1400 x 125 x 280mm. Multiple cutting passes were set up on the CNC 36

router, and routing in two halves accommodated the tapered sides and draft angles providing a flat datum to machine from. Halfway through the blanks were flipped giving access to rough out the interior and underside. Further clean-up was required, flattening, biscuit jointing, and gluing the two halves together. The copper spout performed well, providing an interactive flow of water, as desired in concept design. Whilst suitable for the spout, copper plumbing supplies were expensive, and more commonly found in chrome or nickel. This made sourcing the wall flanges and bottle trap difficult. Further Avenues This sink will act as a master for future prototypes from which plaster moulds can be cast for slip casting. Designing and locally manufacturing fittings rather than specifying existing products could improve circularity, allowing exploration into alternatives to copper that reduce cost and energy embodied in the lifecycle. Local craft could become more prevalent, perhaps implementing varying finishes used by potters within the region. Wai Manu considers its place within the Living Pā Project and a circular economy; however extensive prototyping is needed to improve its merits over other wash basins. Wai Manu must aim to encompass the manufacturing of the basin alongside its fixtures.

WORKS CITED